The non-waiver trade deadline has come and gone, and the Milwaukee Brewers got the left-handed bat they needed.

Their need for a right-handed late-inning reliever? That'll have to wait.

For now, fans of the Crew will have to be satisfied with the acquisition of outfielder Gerardo Parra. In addition to adding another left-handed bat to the mix, Parra brings Gold Glove-caliber defense along with him to Milwaukee.

In fact, the Brewers now have two of the three National League outfielders to win Gold Gloves last season. Pairing Parra with center fielder Carlos Gomez -- especially in the late innings of close games -- should provide a significant boost to the defense.

Sure, the move isn't on the level of the Oakland A's acquiring Jon Lester or the Detroit Tigers bringing in David Price. But the Brewers never had the pieces to put together a realistic offer for such a valuable ace.

Besides, as great as Lester or Price would have been for the Brewers, starting pitching is not a pressing need. It's the bullpen and offense that have been holding them back of late.

They addressed one with Parra -- they hope -- and will likely continue to look for solutions to the other.

In the end, the Cardinals made the biggest splash in the National League, trading for starters John Lackey and Justin Masterson, while the Pirates and Reds stood pat. At the very least, the Brewers did more to improve than their Pittsburgh and Cincinnati rivals.

But don't expect Parra to be the last addition to the Brewers' roster.

Lefty Will Smith has struggled in June and July, wearing down after pitching a league-high 55 games.(Photo: Getty Images)

Relievers often pass through waivers in August, and Milwaukee's once-dominant late-inning stalwarts have been struggling.

After converting his first 15 save opportunities without allowing a run, closer Francisco Rodriguez has given up 17 runs on 30 hits over his last 31 2/3 innings, while blowing four saves and surrendering nine home runs.

If K-Rod doesn't improve, his spot in the closer's role should by no means be guaranteed.

Likewise, lefty Will Smith posted a 7.43 ERA in June and July, giving up 19 runs on 28 hits over 23 innings. Over the season's first two months, Smith earned the eighth-inning role by allowing just one earned run in 25 1/3 innings, good for a 0.36 ERA.

Smith seems worn down, having pitched in a major league-leading 55 games -- already exceeding the 47 games in which he pitched last year for the Royals between Triple-A and the majors. At the very least, Milwaukee needs the ability to give Smith some additional rest.

Jim Henderson's impending return should help, and there's still a chance Tyler Thornburg could return by season's end.

But it would be a surprise to see general manager Doug Melvin pass up the opportunity to add another power relief arm if given the chance over the next month.

TOP TWEETS

Parra has big shoes to fill taking No. 28.

Parra will wear #28. First time they&#39;ve given it out since Prince Fielder left town. #Brewers

Fangraphs has the NL Central race as a dead heat, with the Brewers and Pirates projected for 85.4 wins and the Cardinals for 85.6. St. Louis' odds sit at 59 percent, while the Pirates are second at 57.6 percent and the Brewers third at 56.6 percent.

In their season-to-date stats model, the Brewers have a commanding lead with 69.5 percent playoff odds and projection of 87.7 wins. The Pirates are second at 50.6 percent and 85.2 wins, while the Cards are third at 43.5 percent and 84.3 wins.

Baseball Prospectus' model at MLB.com has the Brewers at 67 percent postseason probability, ahead of the Cardinals are 53.5 percent and the Pirates at 51 percent.

STAT OF THE WEEK

1. Run scored by Parra in the 2011 NL Division Series against the Brewers. It tied Game 5 in the ninth inning at 2-2, before Milwaukee won 3-2 on a walk-off in the 10th.

BEST INSTAGRAMS

Thanks to Photoshop, it didn't take long to put Parra in a Brewers cap.

Hank the Dog -- remember him? -- was rocking shades at the beach this week.

In non-Brewers news, Vin Scully will be back for at least one more year in Los Angeles.

THEY SAID IT

Gomez to Parra, via Twitter: "Welcome to the family to the Brewers mi Hermano te esperamos de lo mio mio mio let's goooooooooooo"

Parra on the Brewers: "They play hard, and they play happy. I love that."

Melvin: "We didn't really worry about next year as much as we're trying to get to the postseason now."